by The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued new Respiratory Virus Guidance on March 1, 2024. The new guidance includes recommendations regarding COVID-19 and other diseases. It aims to provide a “unified, practical approach to protecting against a range of common respiratory viral illnesses” that share similar transmission routes, symptoms, and prevention strategies. COVID-19, flu, and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) have several characteristics in common, not the least of which is the availability of vaccines that limit the spread of the viruses.
The Respiratory Virus Guidance changes the recommendation for minimum isolation after experiencing symptoms of respiratory viruses. Instead of the previously recommended minimum isolation period of five days, the CDC now recommends that people stay home and away from others until at least 24 hours after their symptoms improve overall and they have not had a fever. The guidance also recommends additional precautions for five days following the ‘stay home’ period. The agency is providing FAQs that explain the updated guidance. https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/guidance/faq.html.
The FAQs point out that depending on the length of symptoms, the ‘stay home’ period could be shorter, the same, or longer than the previous guidance for COVID-19. The updated guidance targets the end of the ‘stay home’ period based on symptoms, not testing. The CDC states that testing is an option during the five days of additional precautions recommended following the ‘stay home’ period but is not required. COVID-19 at-home testing can give a rough approximation of whether a person remains infectious during this period, but at-home testing for other respiratory viruses is not widely available. The agency recognizes that repeated testing through the course of illness is not practical for many people.
Note that the new guidance does not apply to healthcare settings. The CDC continues to provide separate, specific guidance for healthcare settings. Nor does the updated guidance change employer obligations regarding accommodations required under the Americans with Disabilities Act and other laws.
